Cabinet for photographic slides



United States Patent CABINET FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SLIDES Joseph W. Kappel, Lynbrook, Sol Kappel and Louis lIsIappel, West Hempstead, and Martin Feiger, Rosedale,

Application December 31, 1954, Serial No. 479,052

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-200) This invention relates to storage cabinets and relates more particularly to a novel cabinet structure designed especially for photographic slides and comprising one or more trays wherein the tray itself forms the main body section of the cabinet and wherein additional trays can be added to the cabinet, or the size of the cabinet reduced by diminishing the number of trays without efiecting any structural change in the cabinet unit except to increase or decrease its storage capacity.

An important object of the invention is to provide a portable storage cabinet or file for photographic slides or other fiat articles wherein the basic unit consists of a tray provided with a pair of opposed upper and lower trackways, the former being arranged to receive a slid able cover section and the latter to receive a slidable base section. The unitary cabinet would serve its intended purpose without the base section but this section gives the cabinet a more finished appearance. In its preferred form the lower trackways of the tray face inwardly and the upper trackways face outwardly and the trackways on the base section and on the slidable cover section are shaped complemental to the trackways of the tray. Thus the storage capacity of the base unit can be doubled by adding a second tray which is received in sliding relation on the upper trackways of the first tray.

It will thus be apparent that another object of the invention is to provide a novel storage cabinet wherein the number of trays can be increased without adding any wall structure except that provided by the added tray itself. The newly superimposed tray becomes the cover section for the lower tray and the structure can be increased in height as desired. In this fashion the outer housing structure of the cabinets of the prior art is eliminated completely and novel means are provided for look ing each tray unit to the unit thereabove and finally to the cover unit. The locking means are quickly releasable and thus permit the several parts to be secured against accidental dislodgement while allowing any tray to be readily opened and, if desired, totally removed from the cabinet unit.

Each tray 'unit may be molded from plastic material or be made from any desired material and may have a large number of slots for the individual slides.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing the trays in partially opened position.

Fig. 2 is a section taken through a tray section and a base and cover section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through an embodiment of the invention having a single tray.

The basic unit of the present invention includes an open top tray section 10, a base section 11 and a cover section 12, all mounted in sliding relation to each other. The tray section includes a base wall 13, a front wall 14, a rear wall 15 and opposed side walls 16. This section, as well as the others, may be molded in a single piece from plastic material or they may be made from sheet metal or other suitable material. The rear wall and the side wall extend below the base wall and the front wall extends from the forward edge of the base wall upwardly to a point above the side walls.

' The side walls may have recesses 20 on their outer faces in order to reduce the weight and at their lower ends they are formed with inwardly facing grooves 21, forming a 'trackway 22 which does not extend inwardly as far as the inner face of the side walls. The upper edges of the side walls are shaped complementary to the lower edges and include a groove 23 including a trackway 24 which does not extend outwardly as far, as the outer face of the side wall. The parts are so proportioned that one tray section may be mounted in superimposed relation on another tray with the trackways interengaging.

The means for locking one tray relative to the next or to the base section or the cover section include elongated vertical projections or bosses 25 formed on or secured to the front wall, such projections including a connecting portion 26 and an outwardly offset portion 30 with a curved vertical edge. At the upper end of the latter a male locking element 31 is formed, such locking element forming an upward extension of the projection and its outer edge is also curved. At the lower end of the projection a complementary female locking element is formed, including a plate portion 32 having on its lower surface an'inwardly extending recess 33 having on one side a curved Wall 34, a curved portion 35 on its opposite side and a substantially square recess or detent 36 lying inside the latter portion. The male portions are offset slightly outwardly of the curved portion 35 so that the former encounters the latter as the members are moved to closed position and when the obstruction has been cleared the male portions enter the square detents preventing casual opening.

The inside of the tray may be formed with fins 40 extending down the side walls and across the base wall to provide slots to receive the articles shown at 39. If desired a central partition may also be provided.

The base section includes a base wall 42, a front wall 43 and a fin or rib 44 extending around the two longitudinal edges and the rear edge. Projections or bosses 45 are formed on or are ecured to the front wall, such projections having male portions 46 at their upper ends. The base section has less of a structural function than does the cover section but it does add to the appearance of the unit.

The cover section includes a top wall 50, a rear wall 51 and side walls 52 provided with grooves 53 at their lower edges, forming a trackway 54. At the forward edge of the top wall projections 55 have recesses on their lower faces similar to that shown in Fig. 3. A handle 60 is secured to top wall 50.

Once the base section 11 is in place it need not be re moved and the other sections are slidable as described.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claim, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are intended to be included therein.

What we claim is:

A cabinet comprising a plurality of superimposed sections mounted for horizontal sliding movement relative to each other and provided with complemental'trackways" to allow such sliding movement, said cabinet including at least one open-top tray section, a base section and a cover sectlon carried by the tray section and being slidably removable therefrom, said tray-'section eha-ving,side. walls and a front wall extendinggabove the side Wallsand terminating at its loWer-endbetween theupperrand lower edges of the side walls, male and female locking, rneansgbetween said sliding members, saidmeans comprisingza-pair i ing a male locking ,portion'and theloWer endhaving a recess'to receivesaid malelock-ing portion, said :recesses having projections at the entrance thereofwhich the male locking portions may clear. by saidbending action, the

i a- 2,seo,o24 p a a p A 4 "base 'and the cover sections having complemental'locking means to cooperate with said male portions and recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 316,412 Stevens Apr. 21, 1885 320,814 Polland June 23, 1885 506,064 Nowland' Oct. 3, 1893 792,427 lKimdsen June: 1.3, 1905 .1,0.61,646 Welliver .May 13, 1913 1,656,153 :Smith, Jan. 10, 1928 2,119,407 Weiskopf' May 31,1938 2,441,678 Tietje May 18, 1948 2,531,737 Lyon Nov. '28, 1950 2,591,726 Schoen Apr. 8, 1952 2,663,457 Shaffer Dec. 22, 1953 2,807,387 Siciliano Sept. 24, 1957 

